It is noted that the general layout of a bowling lane is as follows.
A lane per se (having a length of approximately 17 meters, or 60 feet) separates a release zone where the player throws his/her ball, a target zone wherein the pins are arranged, generally ten in number.
In the target zone, the pins are arranged so as to define a triangle, in four successive rows as follows:                first row upstream from the target zone, with a single pin centred along the lane width;        a second row with two pins, distributed symmetrically with respect to the single pin of the first row;        a third row with three pins, arranged in a staggered fashion with respect to the pins of the second row;        a fourth row with four pins, arranged in a staggered fashion with respect to the pins of the third row.        
According to the tradition of the game, each pin position is designated by a number, assigned as follows (according to a top view of the target zone and with the pin of the first row at the bottom): the position of the first row bears the number 1, the pins of the second row bear the numbers 2 and 3 from the left, the pins of the third row bear the numbers 4, 5 and 6 from the left, and the positions of the fourth row bear the numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10, from the left.
According to the conventional proceedings of the game, each player has two throws at his/her turn to throw. If after the first throw, the player has knocked down all the pins, the player is said to have made a “strike” and does not carry out his/her second throw. On the other hand, if one or more pins remain in the target zone after the first throw, the player has a second throw to try to knock down the remaining pins and, if applicable, bowl a “spare”.
In bowling terminology, “split” is the term designating after the first throw, the gap(s) between the remaining pins. Various “split” configurations can obviously be envisaged, including the least favourable scenario wherein the pins remain at the two positions 7 and 10.
At the present time, bowling alleys are all equipped with automated systems envisaged to carry out the following functions:                collect knocked-down pins;        knock down the pins knocked down after the two throws bowled by a player;        set up the set of ten pins on the predetermined positions;        return the ball to the player, to the release zone.        
Obviously, further functions are also proposed, such as automatic score counting in particular.
According to a widely used technique, the machine for setting up bowling pins at predetermined positions comprises:                a distributing arm, movable so as to be able to release the pins one by one each at predetermined positions;        a system for positioning the distributing arm with respect to the predetermined arrangements;        a lifting wheel to which the knocked-down (or not) pins are conveyed at each change of player, the wheel being designed to sweep away the pins to deliver same to the distributing arm;        motor means envisaged to move the distributing arm, the system for positioning the distributing arm and the lifting wheel.        
According to this technique, the system for positioning the distributing arm acts in operating cycles, an operating cycle providing for the set-up of a pin on each predetermined position.
In the case of a game with ten pins, the positioning system conveys the distributing arm in correspondence with each of the predetermined positions, in order to set up the pins one after the other until positions 1 to 10 are occupied.
By way of indication, the conventional operating cycle of the positioning system acts according to the following fixed sequence: a pin is set up at position 1, followed by another at position 3, followed by another at position 2, followed by another at position 4, followed by another at position 7, followed by another at position 8, followed by another at position 5, followed by another at position 6, followed by another at position 10 and finally a final one at position 9.
During training, a player works on the “splits” that arise. In other words, the player throws a first ball, and observes the “split” that occurs. Therefore, the player needs to systematically throw a first ball to subsequently work on a “split” which is discovered on the fly. It is thus easily understood that the player's training could be optimised if he/she was able to work on the same “split” several times in succession in order to perfect his/her technique, preferentially by saving the physical energy from throwing the first ball.